Recruitments
by thebeautifulbicky
Summary: Morgause tries to recruit Emrys and kill Merlin, and at the same time destroy Camelot and whatever other types of mischief she gets up to.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hmm. Not a particularly wonderful story in terms of writing style. So please, REVIEW! Tell me what you think, how I can improve it! **

Morgana pulled her hood over her mahogany hair. It would be impossible for anyone to figure her identity out now. She heard the tell-tale footsteps against the stone floor behind her, but resisted the urge to turn around. No doubt it was that pesky servant... The one who poisoned her. The one she had thought was her friend.

As she reached the forest, she could constantly hear twigs snapping, leaves crunching. Merlin would be a terrible hunter. She blocked the sounds out, and waited in a clearing for her sister. She stood tall and proud, trying to send a message to Merlin that she wasn't afraid of him.

With the impeccable timing that gifted only herself and Merlin, Morgause rode into the clearing. She was wearing chainmail, and had with her two guards. It wasn't like she would even need them, they were just for show.

'Sorry you had to wait,' Morgause said, slightly breathless. 'There was much to discuss.'

'The treaty was successful?' Morgana asked, smiling slightly.

'Cenred's army rides on my command,' replied Morgause with a similar cunning smile.

'There is nothing you cannot do.'

'I can't find Emrys. With him on our side, we could smash Camelot within seconds.'

'Don't worry, sister. I'm sure your army of the living dead combined with Cenred's army will be undefeatable.'

'Indeed,' Morgause said mildly. 'Besides, a man like Emrys would know how to stay in the shadows. He is the most powerful warlock in history... The one who, together with the Once and Future King, will bring peace and unity to the lands of Albion...'

'Once we destroy Camelot, we destroy the last barrier to bringing magic back to the land.'

'Yes. We will clear the way for Emrys and the King. We will take part of the Great Prophecy!'

* * *

Merlin carefully navigated his way around Arthur's room, trying not to step on the numerous objects strewn on the floor. He yanked open the blinds and took in the mess that lay before him.

'What happened?' Merlin said, incredulous.

Arthur's eyes snapped open at his voice, any remnants of sleep quickly brushed off. 'I had to make do without a servant, that's what happened,' he said, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

'I wasn't gone for that long!'

'Without my permission,' Arthur snapped back.

'I could've been _dying_.'

'I wouldn't be complaining. But you're not. So where've you been?'

Merlin cast his mind over the last few days. 'I_ was_ dying.'

Arthur obviously didn't believe him. 'I don't have time for this,' he said promptly. 'The future of Camelot rests on my shoulders. Do you have any idea what that feels like?'

'Well-'

'Merlin,' Arthur interrupted. 'I could have you thrown in jail for this. So what have you to say for yourself?'

Merlin rocked on his heels and crossed his arms. 'You haven't had your breakfast, have you?'

Arthur turned a spectacular shade of violet. 'I'LL HAVE YOU FOR BREAKFAST!' He threw a goblet that was next to his bed at Merlin.

'No wonder this room is so messy!' Merlin threw back.

Arthur frisbeed a plate at him.

'Got all the makings of a great king, I see,' said Merlin sarcastically, and bowed.

A boot sailed above his head. Merlin quickly scrammed from Arthur's chambers.

* * *

As Merlin walked through the corridors, he remembered the last couple of days.

After Morgana and Morgause had discussed Emrys, Merlin had jumped out of his skin. If they were hell-bent on destroying Camelot in order for the prophecy to come true, then maybe he could convince them that Arthur was the Once and Future King.

But the noise he had made had given him away.

'Who's there?' Morgause had said harshly.

'Merlin,' hissed Morgana, her voice filled with venom.

He had run immediately, the only thought in his mind to get away at this point. They still had no idea about who or what he was, and he had no intention to enlighten them now that their fury was directed at him.

They caught him. Morgause had tied him up with magically reinforced chains, and had a little 'chat' with Merlin.

'You intrigue me, Merlin,' she had said. 'Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot?'

Silence.

'You know the answer but you're not telling me.'

More silence.

'Come on. Time and again you've put your life on the line. There must be a reason.'

Merlin hesitated. Should he reveal to her what he believed in? 'I believe in a fair and just land,' he had said at last. That was a half-truth.

Morgause couldn't keep a smirk from playing on her lips. 'And you think Arthur will bring you that?'

'I know it,' Merlin had said with certainty.

'And then what?' Morgause had said, slightly miffed. 'Let me tell you something. The druids have a prophecy. They believe that a warlock, under the name of Emrys, will make this land fair and just. They believe that he will unite with the Once and Future King to balance this world. They believe that those two will bring magic back to this land.'

She watched Merlin closely to see his reaction, but he kept his face smooth as stone. She took this as a sign to continue.

'Surely it's not Uther Pendragon that these druids have prophesized about. Surely it's not Arthur, who is so obviously his father's son. What do you think, Merlin?'

What should he do? He still didn't trust Morgause enough to reveal his secret, but if he did then he could prevent a full-out war. He opened his mouth to spill the beans. Too late.

'Whatever you may think, Merlin, you will take it to the grave,' Morgause had said. She turned away and disappeared into the forest, leaving Merlin to be killed by the Serkets.

**A/N: REVIEW! Or the serkets will come after you! **


	2. Chapter 2

'Whatever you may think, Merlin, you will take it to the grave,' Morgause had said. She turned away and disappeared into the forest, leaving Merlin to be killed by the Serkets.

Merlin rubbed his back gently. He should've told Morgause _something_... But what? Anything to stop her from trying to kill him. Now he had a stab wound in his back, right when he needed to save all of Camelot, protect Arthur's life, keep his magic a secret, stop Morgana from doing anything stupid, save Arthur's life a bit more, and stop Morgause's army. Simple. Not too hard. After all, he did it everyday.

He was walking through the courtyard with Arthur, who was throwing an impossible list of chores at him when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up at the castle, and saw Morgana's tell-tale figure at her window. He had a lot of dodging questions and lying to do.

Morgana stared at the prince's manservant in disbelief. What on earth was he doing here? She thought that Morgause had personally taken care of him. How could he be alive?

'Milady?' Gwen's voice said.

She turned around. 'I...' she struggled for an explanation at her lapse in concentration. 'I was thinking about what to wear.'

Gwen smiled at her mistress's antics, and went back to folding her clothes. Morgana looked back out the window, but Merlin had disappeared.

'I must dress,' Morgana said. She walked out the door. Gwen frowned at the doorway where Morgana had disappeared in confusion. She had already dressed.

'Sister, why is Merlin still alive?'

'He isn't,' Morgause said absent-mindedly.

'Then why did I see him walking beside Arthur this morning?' Morgana snapped.

Morgause's eyebrows drew together. 'What?'

'Merlin is still alive and well. It doesn't matter. I've given him a little _talk_ already,' sniggered Morgana.

'And you are certain that he will not get in our way?'

'Yes.'

Morgause admired her sister's courage. 'You're so brave, to be able to do something like this...'

Morgana gave one of her trademark evil grins. 'I trust that by tomorrow, Camelot will be bent to its knees?'

'It already is,' said Morgause. 'Thanks to you giving the king the poultice. Tomorrow, we will march with Cenred's men... To destroy Camelot!'

The battle did _not_ go well for the scheming women. Not only was Morgana completely thrashed by that lowly manservant, but she had failed Morgause. Cenred had withdrawn his men, and they all knew it would be quite a while before Cenred would trust Morgause again.

Morgana had gone out to meet Morgause in the forest at midnight, as usual.

'Sister, what happened?' Morgause asked.

'I'm sorry,' said Morgana, her tone the complete opposite of what she had said. '_Merlin_ decided to drop by for a visit in the tombs.'

'How did he know that you and the staff were there?'

'I don't know. He tried to stop me, but I overpowered him. Then suddenly the roof collapsed over me. When I woke up, you were gone.'

Morgause stared blankly at her. 'This Merlin... Who is he?'

'Arthur's manservant. A stupid one. You know what he said to me? He told me that I shouldn't be against Uther. He told me that I shouldn't bear a grudge towards that cold-hearted, stone-faced, ruthless murderer. That pathetic excuse for a king, that monster that tore families apart and murdered innocent children. Merlin said I should use my magic for good. If saving the land from a tyrannical king isn't good, then what is?'

Morgause had been too engaged in her own thoughts to take note of Morgana's rant. 'You're right, sister. I must leave.'

She turned away from Morgana and disappeared into the shrub. How on earth had that boy escaped her chains? How had he stopped Arthur from killing his father? How had he found Morgana, defeated her, then destroyed the Staff of Neahtid? There was only one answer.

The boy was magical.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the gazillion mistakes in the last chapter! I am a complete noob, so I edited the chapter **_**after **_**I published it. Well, as always, THANKYOU for the reviews/alerts/favourites. I am amazed by the response I've gotten. But there's been ten times more alerts than reviews! Come on, you may as well review while you're at it. Put a smiley face or something, I don't care. Enough blabbing. On to the story... **

_There was only one answer, thought Morgause. The boy was magical._

'And to what may I owe the pleasure to, Morgause?' the dragon's voice boomed through the forest.

'I believe that you are enemies with Uther Pendragon,' the witch said.

'Of course. That would be only natural after he killed my kin, tricked my master, imprisoned me for twenty years, destroyed-'

'What about an opportunity,' Morgause interrupted, 'to relieve the world of him - and of the city he owns?'

'I'm afraid I can't do that.'

'What? I thought you said you wanted to-'

'I am under strict orders to never attack Camelot again.'

'Orders? Whose orders? And what do you mean by again_?_ You already attacked Camelot?'

'Yes,' the dragon said, slightly surprised that Morgause hadn't heard about it already. 'As soon as I was released I tried destroying Camelot.'

'And...'

'No, I could not. Farewell, Morgause. It seems you have no use of me.'

The dragon flew away, leaving Morgause completely and utterly confused.

_Wait!_ Morgause yelled with her telepathic link that all magical beings shared.

_What do you want? _The dragon sounded weary.

_Was the one who ordered you not to attack Camelot again the same one who stopped you?_

_You were given that material between your ears for a reason. _

Morgause ignored the dragon's insult_. Is - is that person a Dragon Lord?_

_If he wasn't then I would've razed Camelot into the ground._

_Is he a sorcerer as well? _Morgause suddenly had a sneaking suspicion.

_He has never performed sorcery in front of me_, the dragon replied. That was a half-truth. Merlin had performed sorcery behind him, and out of his sight, but never in front of him.

_So he isn't a sorcerer?_

The dragon didn't reply.

_Who is the Dragon Lord?_

'None other than the Prince's manservant, Merlin, son of Balinor, the last Dragon Lord.' Once again the dragon's voice boomed through the forest, and Morgause unconsciously trembled at the power and majesty Kilgarrah emitted.

'Mer-Merlin?' Morgause exclaimed. 'He's a Dragon Lord? A sorcerer?'

'No, young witch, he is not a sorcerer. I have helped Merlin on several occasions and given him some of my magic. Of course, he was forced to release me in turn. But alas, he could force me into doing anything. Merlin is, after all, a Dragon Lord.'

The dragon wasn't lying. Merlin wasn't a sorcerer, he was a warlock. He had been given spells by the dragon whenever he needed them. This scenario was going to be interesting for the dragon. What would happen if Morgause knew Merlin's secret, or at least half of it? Would Arthur find out? Would Merlin go over to Morgause's side? Of course, Kilgarrah could seriously mess up the prophecies. But sometimes prophecies needed a little action to be able to take place.

Morgause started muttering to herself. 'So I was right... in a way. He's a magical being. Not a sorcerer. If I could convince him to join me, then I would have a dragon by my side. If he can use Dragon Magic, I will have another ally. Maybe he can help coax Emrys out of hiding-'

'It would be wise not to put all your eggs in one basket, Morgause,' the dragon said. 'Not only is Merlin blindly loyal to Camelot, he does not trust you or even I. It will take a lot of convincing for him to join the fight against Uther.'

'Merlin would most likely listen to you. He has never known my true intentions of peace and justice, but you have never lied to him.'

The dragon inclined his head. 'Very well. But do not be too hopeful, Morgause. Farewell.'

With that he flew off. Kilgarrah had never lied to Merlin, merely kept some important facts from him - just like he had with Morgause. This was going to be _very_ interesting.

* * *

_Merlin!_

Merlin jumped in surprise and scared yet another deer away from the hunting party.

'Merlin!' yelled a very different voice in a not very different tone. 'Can't you do anything right?'

'Sorry,' Merlin said sheepishly. 'Um, I need to take a leak. Be right back.'

Arthur rolled his eyes at his clumsy manservant. He was such a girl! What was wrong with urinating in the clearing? Why did he have to go so far every time?

As Merlin disappeared through the shrub, Arthur decided he should see where his servant actually went. It would give him a scare, serves him right!

Merlin was oblivious to his follower. He kept walking towards the direction of the dragon's voice until he reached the clearing where he had granted the dragon leniency.

'I'm here!' he called out.

Arthur nearly tripped on a tree root. Who the hell was he talking to? Why wasn't he peeing? Then he practically fell flat on his face at what he saw next.

A dragon, _the_ dragon, the one that he thought he had killed last summer, was flying into the clearing. Panic rose into his throat. He had to warn everyone! Heck, he had to warn Merlin, the stupid idiot was just standing there! What on earth was he doing?

Fear froze him onto the spot. He opened his mouth to yell at Merlin, to order him to get back while he dealt with dragon. If he'd been knocked unconscious while fighting, what would happen to that clumsy, good-for-nothing oaf?

And then the dragon spoke. Arthur's jaw dropped with the dragon's. Now he was in for it.

'Merlin. Glad to see you've finally come,' the dragon boomed, his voice filled with power and majesty.

What?

'Glad to see you're finally talking to me again,' said Merlin.

They were on regular speaking terms?

'Your powers as a Dragon Lord are needed,' the dragon continued.

Wait... _What?_ Arthur tapped his ear, hopefully dislodging any material that would cause him to hear wrong.

'I told you to never attack Camelot again. Why would I be needed as a Dragon Lord?' Merlin asked.

Okay, this was really weird. _Merlin _was a Dragon Lord? Merlin was a _Dragon Lord?_

'Morgause wants you to join her side,' said the dragon. 'She wants your help in destroying Camelot.'

This must be a dream. It was all a huge, horrifying nightmare that he would wake up from soon. Any moment now. Merlin... Feel free to open the blinds now... He pinched himself. Pain zapped through his entire shoulder. Okay, it was a particularly persistent nightmare.

'You already know my answer,' the manservant's voice was lowered, but somehow had more authority now. 'I would never abuse my powers as a Dragon Lord. I would never destroy Camelot. I would _never_ betray Arthur.'

Arthur's brain stopped working.

'You already abused it when you forced me to give you the knowledge to heal Morgana. You already destroyed Camelot when you released me from my prison. And you have already betrayed Arthur by not telling him your secret.'

Arthur swore that the dragon's eyes slid over to his location, but the dragon looked at Merlin again so quickly that the prince wasn't sure anything had happened.

'I didn't have a choice!' Merlin nearly whined.

The dragon examined him with his intelligent golden eyes. Merlin felt like he was being X-rayed. There was an awkward silence. At last Kilgarrah spoke.

'If your loyalties lie with Arthur, so be it. Let me warn you though - you will face many trials ahead of you, and if you fail, you will never fulfil your destiny.' The dragon spread its wings and started beating them. 'Another thing, Merlin. Be _very_ careful from now on. You don't know who might find out about you being a Dragon Lord.'

Kilgarrah took off to the sky, leaving the ground below him in a whirlwind.

Merlin sighed. He was amazed that the dragon hadn't mentioned anything about his magic, or the prophecies about Emrys, or him and Arthur being "two sides of a coin" and what-not. He started walking back towards the hunting party.

Arthur just stared in amazement.

**A/N: Oh no! Everyone's half figured out Merlin's secret. I might make them figure the rest out... maybe... REVIEW AND I WILL ENLIGHTEN YOU FASTER! MAYBE! **


	4. Chapter 4

Recruits chap4

**I'm not dead, guys! I've just been hit by a major wave of unbotheredness. **

**So basically, the dragon told Morgause that Merlin's a Dragonlord but NOT a sorcerer, Arthur overheard, and now M&M are trying to get Merlin as well as Emrys on their side. **

Merlin pushed the door open, balancing a tray with Arthur's breakfast on one hand. He was surprised to see the Prince of Camelot wide awake by the window sill. Without even a greeting, Arthur rounded on his servant.

'Merlin,' he said. 'You're late again.' He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped.

'Well, technically I'm not late, as I always come at this time...' Merlin trailed off as the prince gave him a double dose of his super prince-prat glare.

'What's the point of having a servant who's never on time?' said Arthur, exasperated.

'Well, I'm always here to protect you,' said Merlin, not missing a beat. 'You know, from those evil sorcerers and their murderous creatures of magic.' He laughed lightly.

Arthur stared at him. Before that fateful day, he would've laughed with - or rather, at - him. But now he knew better. It wasn't like Merlin was an all-powerful warlock, but if he was a Dragonlord, then he'd definitely done more than just serve Arthur breakfast everyday.

After a couple of seconds, Arthur decided to play along. 'You mean just like how you _protected _me from the dragon?'

Merlin made eye contact with the prince, who was surprised by the intensity of his gaze. 'Exactly like that,' said the servant.

'Well, who was the one to deal it a mortal blow? Who was the one to hide behind trees?'

Merlin gave him a condescending smile, and held up Arthur's breakfast. 'You see this? I'm going to take it to Gaius and see if the food's gone off. It must've been something you ate. Not only are your memories completely and absolutely wrong, I can also hear your bed groaning with relief as soon as you get off it. You're starting to get... Well...' He made some wild gestures around his stomach.

'Fat?' exclaimed Arthur in disbelief. 'I _dare _you to say that again.'

'I didn't say it, my lord. You did.' Merlin's grin was enough for Arthur to beat him into a pulp, but he satisfied himself with throwing a pillow at him.

'Who do you think you're talking to?' said Arthur. 'I, Arthur Pendragon, single-handedly defeated the Great Dragon. Do you know how many times I have saved Camelot? Do you have _any _idea what that means?'

Arthur carefully watched Merlin for his reaction. If the servant had indeed defeated the dragon, not him, then what would he say?

'Of course I know what saving Camelot means, _sire_,' said Merlin. Arthur nearly choked on his own spit. 'I bring you breakfast everyday. Stops you from turning into a wild beast that would destroy Camelot within seconds just for a tiny morsel of food.'

'That wild beat,' said Arthur slowly, 'has defeated every opponent he has faced.' Merlin muttered something about egotistical prats, which he ignored. 'Take that cursed Druid girl, for example.'

Merlin dropped the tray with Arthur's breakfast on it.

Out of habit, Arthur yelled at his servant. 'You idiot! That was my breakfast! Go get me another one. Honestly, you don't deserve to serve under such a mighty, powerful warrior.'

Merlin turned away. 'There's no need for you to have breakfast,' he said cheerfully, but it sounded a bit forced. 'You're getting a bit big, both in the mind and the body.' He started going out of Arthur's chambers. 'I'll finish polishing your armour, your pratness.'

Arthur frowned as the door closed. Not only did he not get to confront Merlin about his meeting with the Great Dragon, it also felt Merlin was hiding something else. Something about the cursed Druid girl... He shook his head. He was being silly now. He'd talk to him when he went down to training.

The said servant was walking towards the armoury. At the mention of Freya, his beloved but cursed Druid girl, he'd nearly had an emotional breakdown right in front of Arthur.

A hand grabbed the back of Merlin's jacket. Magic pooled up in him instinctively, and he whirled around, ready to blast whoever it was into smithereens. (AWESOME WORD ALERT! Go back to that word, put your fingers together, and say... Hmm... Yes... Smithereens...)

It was Morgana. He felt himself instantly calm down. Even Morgana's fierce expression wasn't enough for the mighty Merlin. 'Why didn't you tell me?' she hissed.

'Tell you... what, exactly?' asked Merlin.

'Don't play stupid with me,' she said. 'All this time, you said you were on their side! You don't belong with them. You belong with me. And you've denied it this whole time! You _lied _to me! _Why didn't you tell me?'_

Merlin's mouth opened in confusion at Morgana's rant.

'I haven't finished,' Morgana said, mistaking his confusion for opposition. Her eyes drilled into Merlin's, her posture grand and regal. 'All this time, I thought I was the only one. I thought I'd go crazy. You - you knew what I was going through, and yet you didn't do a thing. Then you _poisoned _me. As if you were on Uther's side. Let me tell you - Uther would kill you as soon as look at you if he knew your secret. He wouldn't even care that you don't possess magic! _You _are close enough to sorcery for him. Yet you still defend him. I would literally smash your head in right now. You liar!' She paused to take a breath. (wow... that's the second time I've given Morgana a huge rant.)

'Morgana,' said Merlin.

'You can redeem yourself,' Morgana continued, as if Merlin hadn't spoken. 'Join me. You will never have to worry about Uther looming over your head with me to protect you. I'll even forgive you of your past... misdemeanours. Think! With you as Arthur's manservant, we could easily take Camelot. Just think of all the things we could do! We wouldn't have to worry about getting our heads on the chopping block.'

'Morgana,' said Merlin quickly. 'Please, calm down. What are you talking about?'

Morgana's face scrunched up in irritation. 'You have the nerve to pretend! You're a Dragonlord, Merlin, and you can't change that. But you can change your allegiance. Arthur will never accept you for who you truly are. But I, I truly understand you. Join me.'

Merlin briefly thought about the conversation he'd had with the Dragon. 'No,' he said.

Morgana narrowed her eyes. 'What?'

'I said no,' he said, more strongly. 'Arthur's not going to be anything like his father. He's going to be a great king. He has a good heart. But you, Morgana, your heart has been twisted by hate. You fail to see underneath the arrogant mask Arthur puts on, how he is a good person inside.'

'He is nothing but what his father made him!' said Morgana angrily. 'He has stood by while countless people have been executed for crimes they did not do! Just look at how he treats you. You're forced to serve his every whim, and you get nothing in return. Think, Merlin! Together, we could change Camelot!'

'There won't be any need to change Camelot when Arthur gets to the throne,' answered Merlin. How many times had he gone through this kind of conversation?

Morgana snorted. 'And then what? You'll clean his toenails? If you join me, _he _would be the one cleaning _your _toenails. He would bow before you.' They both knew instantly that she'd made a huge mistake.

Merlin's face tightened. 'I would rather clean the toenails of a good man than rule Camelot with you.'

'That's it,' said Morgana. Her voice was quiet, but she was quivering with rage. Her eyes started to glow. 'I guess you're too stubborn. You're too stupid to be of any use of us anyway. Die, Merlin. Begone.'

Huge gusts of wind appeared from nowhere. Objects started to fly around. Morgana's hair whipped around her face, and her eyes were a molten gold. Merlin gulped. He knew his own magic was several times more powerful than Morgana's, but hers was extremely unpredictable and could catch him by surprise very easily. He could feel her rage and her magic feeding off each other, growing stronger with every passing moment. He took a deep breath, got ready to release his magic, and-

'Milady?'

The air calmed down as quickly as it had risen. Morgana looked shocked at the sheer power of her own magic. She and Merlin turned simultaneously to see Gwen's chocolate brown eyes peering around the corner uncertainly.

'Gwen,' said Morgana shakily. Merlin could feel her anger evaporating. Maybe Morgana did want to smash him into tiny little pieces, but she wouldn't do it in front of Gwen.

'Is everything alright?' the maid asked.

'Ask Merlin,' she said, and stormed off.

'Merlin,' Gwen said slowly. 'Has something been happening between you two that I should know about?'

'What- no!' he spluttered. The thought of the two of them... Merlin felt his face wrinkle in disgust at the thought.

Gwen didn't look like she believed him. 'Just remember, I'm always here for both of you. If you have anything you want to talk about, you know the name.'

He appreciated the thought, but he didn't think that he'd be able to tell her that Morgana abandoned them for cookies and cream, he was a warlock secretly defending Camelot, and they were trying to subtly kill each other. Well, he was trying to get her off the cookies, and she was defending them with all her might and magic.

Just then, the prince sprinted into the hallway. 'What happened? I heard something... Merlin!' he yelled, demanding an explanation from him.

'Morgana got a big angry,' Merlin said simply.

'Ah,' said Arthur.

Gwen chose that moment to exit. 'If there's any problems...' she trailed off, and picked up her basket of laundry and left, leaving Arthur and Merlin standing there awkwardly.

'Well,' said Arthur. 'I need to talk to you, Merlin.'

Maybe it was his magic, or maybe he just knew Arthur too well. Merlin had a feeling this 'talk' wasn't going to turn out well.

**Mostly development... But I'll update quickly! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I broke my last promise about updating. **

**Arthur knows Merlin's a dragonlord, nothing else, and he's confronting him about it now. OH and M&M know too. Lalala. I feel like I'm writing a blog.**

'You need to talk to me?' asked Merlin.

Arthur nodded, an almost apprehensive look in his eye.

Merlin frowned. The faintest idea formed in his head. 'Is there some sort of huge secret that you want to tell me?'

'I-' began the prince, but he changed his mind and started again. 'Don't be such a girl, Merlin. If it was a huge secret, I wouldn't be telling you.'

'Unless it concerned me,' said Merlin slowly.

Arthur looked like the words were being torn from him. 'Well... Maybe...'

'Don't worry,' he said reassuringly. He wondered if the prince was coming out. 'You can trust me.'

Arthur nearly choked at the irony of the statement. Merlin was a Dragonlord, after all, and he certainly hadn't trusted Arthur with his secret. He decided to start at the beginning. 'Two years ago, I met a man.'

'Holy cow, you are coming out!' Merlin said.

'What?'

'Arthur, I don't want to hurt you, but you should know that others wouldn't approve. People just don't like these things. Nor do I swing that way-'

'NO!' yelled Arthur. 'I'm not talking about that. God, what goes through that mind of yours? What I wanted to say was I saw you at the hunt yesterday.'

Merlin looked like he still thought Arthur was coming out. Arthur waited for the full implications of his words to hit him, but it didn't look like it would happen anytime soon.

'With the dragon,' supplied Arthur.

The manservant laughed. And didn't stop laughing for at least half a minute. If Arthur had looked into his eyes, he would've seen a flicker of fear pass through. But, like with so many other things, he hadn't looked close enough.

'That's good, Arthur,' wheezed Merlin.

The prince narrowed his eyes. 'Hmm, let's see. You've healed Morgana with some dragon-voodoo magic, released it from its prison and let it run everywhere destroying Camelot, and most importantly, you never thought it'd be worth the time to tell me that you're a Dragon Lord.'

Merlin's eyes widened. 'I - you-'

'I just want to know why you didn't tell me earlier,' said Arthur.

They stared at each other for a long moment. 'You're not angry at me?' said Merlin softly. 'I would've told you, but I was afraid.'

'I won't tell anyone, Merlin. Being a Dragon Lord is far too close to sorcery for comfort. Frankly, I don't even know why you're still here. Although, if you were a _sorcerer_...' Arthur trailed off and cracked his knuckles.

Merlin audibly gulped.

'No secrets from now on, okay?' the prince said. His servant nodded emphatically. 'Good... Anything else you'd like to tell me?'

Merlin thought of the several thousand times he'd used magic. He thought about the magic book hiding under his bed, and the Druids, and the prophecies of Emrys. 'Well... I would like to tell you that your poetry is terrible. That song you wrote Gwen - it reeks.'

Arthur gaped like a fish. 'You little - how do you know about that?'

'It's a secret,' said Merlin, who ran out of range before Arthur could throw anything that happened to be within reach at him.

* * *

Back in Gaius' chambers, Merlin sank gratefully into a chair while the physician finished his last batches of medicine.

'Merlin, feel free to help an old man,' said Gaius, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The warlock massaged his forehead with his fingers. 'Too many confrontations today… Not you too…'

'Then do feel free to share,' replied Gaius, still sounding a bit annoyed.

'Arthur found out I'm a Dragon Lord, but he doesn't know I have magic. Same with Morgana. How did that even happen? Then she tried getting me to join her side, and she threw a hissy fit when I refused. And that pesky old dragon is giving me more riddles to solve. Can't I have just one moment of peace?'

Gaius stared at Merlin's outburst, contemplating the situation. 'I know this is very hard for you. But with great power comes great responsibility.'

Merlin came up with several smarmy comebacks, but he didn't have the heart to say them. Instead he nodded.

'And with great power comes, also, a lot of chores,' Gaius said. 'Just because you're the greatest warlock ever, doesn't mean you're exempt from chores.' He playfully threw a rag at Merlin.

He gaped like a fish. Gaius laughed. 'Here's your dinner,' he said. He took the plate of food on the table and handed it over to Merlin, a smile curving his lips. 'Only you, Merlin. Only you.'

* * *

An old woman had come to Camelot. She was from the furthest parts of the kingdom, from a small village called Elmsbane. She sought an audience with the king, who drew the whole court together to hear her plight.

'My village has been attacked by a group of sorcerers,' the woman said. 'I was the only one from my family who could escape in the forests. Please help us; our village is small and we are not able to defend ourselves.'

Merlin burst into the hall, strands of hay sticking out of his hair. 'Sorry I'm late,' he gasped.

The old woman glared at Merlin, and Arthur rolled his eyes. 'Stand next to Gaius, Merlin. Next time you're late, I'll make sure you get extra punishment.'

He obediently shuffled to his usual place in the hall and found a sudden interest with the floor as everyone stared at him. 'What's happening?' he whispered to Gaius.

'Just listen,' was the response.

'As you were saying,' the king said.

'As we were escaping, the sorcerers saw us,' she continued, her face tightening as she remembered the incident. 'I hid behind a tree, but everyone was captured except for me. As the rest of my family was taken, I could hear them talking about something… about their leader…' at this point the woman's voice cracked, and her shoulders started shaking. She barely managed to get the words out, 'they said "he'll be happy that we've caught some more scum, that Emrys…"'

Emrys? Merlin exchanged a worried glance with Gaius, who kept his poker face - something Merlin was not able to do.

Uther's expression hardened. 'We will take action at once. Sorcery must be eradicated.'

The woman bowed and turned to go out of the hall, still sobbing. As soon as the doors had shut behind her, the king turned to Arthur. 'How soon can you leave?'

'By the end of the day, if we must,' said Arthur.

'Good. Take whatever you need, and ride out immediately. It'll be at least three days' ride, and this threat must be taken care of as quickly as possible.'

Arthur bowed, and that action signalled the dismissal of the court.

**Do I make the scenes too short? Or is the fast moving actiony angsty thingy majiggy plot good? PLEASE REVIEW :)**


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